Bath-tub attachment.



M- EPPLER.

BATH TUB ATTACHMENT.

APPLICATION FILED 050.11. 1911.

1,301, 1 14. Patented Apr. 22, 1919.

A ITOR/VEYS MARTHA EPPLER,- OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

BATH-TUB ATTACHMENT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

' Patented Apr. 22, 1919.

Application filed December 11, 1917. Serial No. 206,704.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MARTHA EPPLER, a citizen of the United States, and resident of New York city, in the county of Bronx and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bath-Tub Attachments, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a body'supporting bath tub attachment for supporting a person in reclining position over the tub when giving a vaginal douche or an enema.

In operations of this character it is preferable that the patient be lying in a reclining, backwardly tilted or dorsal-position with a firm support for thebuttock, shoulder and head. As persons have different length bodies, and as it is desirable that not only the buttock but also'the patients feet be firmly positioned, it is obviously necessary that the length of the supporting back be adjustable to fit different size patients.

Accordingly, one of the objects of the invention is to provide a simple form of 'device of the class described, which can be readily positioned on the bathtub, easily adjusted to suit the requirement of the particular patient being treated, and, which will insure a steady, rigid support for the patients body and at the same time eliminate any feeling of unsteadiness or unsecurity of support on the part of the reclining patient.

Such devices are of necessity somewhat cumbersome and take up space in the bath room or storage compartment when not in use.

Accordingly another object of the invention is to provide a device of the class described which can be readily separated into a conventional form of bath seat of the hanging type now in general use, and a back element which can be coordinated with the seat whenever it is desired to support'the patient in reclining position.

Various other objects and advantages'of the invention will be in part obvious from an inspection of the accompanying drawings and in part will be more fully set forth in the following particular description of one form of mechanism embodying my invention, and the invention also consists in certain new and novel features of construction and combination of parts hereinafter set f rth and claimed,

Referring to the accompanying draw- 1ngs:-

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a bath tub with a preferred embodiment of my lnvention installed thereon;

Figs. 2 and 3 are respectively perspective views of the seat and back element of the attachment shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4c is a vertical sectional view taken longitudinally 'of the device shown in Fig. 1;

shown a conventional form of'bath'tub 10 provided with oppositely disposed outlining slde rims 11, and a connecting'curvcd Erear rim 12, all' as is'usual-in well known devices-of this type.

A seat element 13 of conventional form is'hung by means of curved wire hook hangers 1 1 engaging the side rims with the seat 'board 15 suspended therebetween as is usual with a well known form of bath seat. this case, however, it is preferable, but not necessary "that the seat fit between the sides of the tub to prevent lateral play and that the hangers 14; or at least the forward part thereof be so positioned that it can be used as a support for the heel of the patient when in dorsal position on the device. The rear edge of'the seat board is provided with a depending hanger plate 16. The central portion; of this plate is recessed-to provide an opening 17 adapted to accommodate the adjacent end of the back element 18 hereinafter more fully described. Thelower edge 19 of this opening is beveled to provide a secure engagementwith the back element.

It is understood that this seat element can be used as a bath seat and that the depending plate 16; in no way interferes with the use of, or detracts from the appearance of the similar device now in general use.

- The back element 18 comprises a body supporting member the lower end 20 of which is adapted to be inserted into the opening 17 in the depending plate 16 and to rest on t e edge 19. The body support-v ing part is formed of a plurality of spaced apart and longitudinally extending slats 21.

permit the use of a small opening 17 The slats are connected by means of two braces 22 and'23. The brace 22 is a narrow'projecting strip positioned to fit beneath the small of the patients back, thus assisting to prevent sliding. The brace-23 is a broad flat plate designed to constitute a shoulder or head rest for the patient.

In order to adjust the extent of the portion of the back element which projects rearwardly' of the seat element and at the same time tohold the back in position on the seat element, there is provided a plurality of notches 24 spaced longitudinally-of the back element and adapted to engage in the edge 19 of the plate.

The upper or outer end of theback is provided with a pair of legs 25 depending from the portion thereof adjacent the shoulder rest 23. The legs are of spring metal and include a curved rim engaging saddle '26 having a curvature to conform to the configuration of the back rim 12 of the tub on opposite sides of its longitudinally medial line; This disposition of the legs places the back in set position on the tub and holds the back to the seat' in such a manner as to prevent lateral movement of the back relative'to the seat.

In operation and assuming that the seat is in its usual position bridged across the tub and between the sides thereof, it is noted that the seat may be moved toward or away from the rear of the tub intosuch a position as to give the requisite length of back sup port when assembled. The back element is then inserted into position in the opening 17 with the edge of the plate engaging the proper line of notches so as to bring the-legs into position firmly engaging the back rim of the tub. If necessary, the seat isshifted until this secure seating is attained.

By means of a'device of this character it will be no'tedthat the long engagement of the seat hangers co-act with the spaced apart legs of the back so as to form a Widely spreading and braced construction which will hold firmly in place and will not accidentally slip when the patient movesthereon or demounts from the construction. As the hangers 14 are spaced from the side of the tub, they act as guards to prevent the patients clothing coming in contact With the inner side of the tub. In this, way the Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, 'by'addressingathe Commissionerofilatents,

back element comprising a spaced apart slats andmeans or fastenmg charge the douche water off the seat without.

wetting the patients clothes. WVhen finished the back can readily be detached from the seat and-the simple construction permits of a ready washing and cleaning of the device before the back is stored away.

While I have shown and described, and have pointed out in the annexed claims, certain novel features of my invention, when considered in connection with a bath tub, it will'be understood that it may be used in connection with any proper support such as a couple of chairs and that various omissions, substitutions and changes in the'form and details of the device illustrated and in its operation may-be made by thoseskilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention. 7

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1. In a device of the classdescribed,'the combination of a relatively long back element designed to extend longitudinally of a bath tub and spaced fromthe sides thereof, 'said'back-element provided with a supportsaid endabove the rearrim of'the tub, a seat element rovided with means for suspending the same b'elowthe upper edge of the tub, said seat ielementprovided witha hanger ported'in' its adjusted positions" by said plate,

"said seat being adjustableonthe tub thereby to vary the angle of inclination of the back.

2. In a device of the class described, a lurality of the slats together to form an open back adapted to permit fluids to flow therethrough, one end of said back constituting a shoulder rest, the shoulder rest end of the back provided with'means for holdingthe "same in place above the rear'rim of a bath tub and the opposite end of the 'back provided with means for pivotally and adjustably supporting the same from a separate V supporting member positioned-.below the rim of the tub" whereby the back is inclined.

signed atfNew Yorkcity, in the county of New York and State ofNew York this 6 day of December, A. 13.1917.

, MARTHA EPPLER.

- Washington,ED.. 0.

'90 ing memberadjacent one end for spacing.

plate depending'therefrom' and recessed to 

